Inspirational

Hey you! Yeah YOU. Sitting in front of your computer. I have some advice I would like to share with you. Wait for it. WAIT for it. Lean in closely… Are you ready? There are no set standard rules in show business on how to break into show business. Did I really just say that? Yes, I did. My name is Steven D. Snyder and I am an actor, writer, comedian, director, and producer based in Los Angeles and Phoenix. In my quest in 2011 to sign with a literary agent to take me on as a writer, I journ...

Lead Producer Sam Borowski and Lead Actor Daniel Roebuck pose on the bench on set during In This Moment's recent shoot in Bethlahem, Pa. "I’ve said this so many times, but there’s a magic when you have a really good actor in a really good makeup.” – 7-time Oscar-Winning Make-Up Artist Rick Baker. When I was asked by Amanda Toney to pen a post about my recent experiences producing In This Moment, a short film designed for film festivals, distribution, and Oscar-Consideration in 2020, I thou...

Hey, guys.  Hope you're having a terrific Sunday and cultivating the seed of fantastic and meaningful relationships during Introduce Yourself Weekend. Today, I have 2 videos designed to educate, motivate and inspire. First up, from the Royal Ocean Film society, one fantastic video essay:  Lessons for the No-Budget Filmmaker.  We hear many excuses around these parts regarding the reasons not to pick up a camera and start shooting.  This video will make those excuses moot. Next, it's inargua...

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” This is what indie filmmaker and actress Sonja O'Hara kept in the back of her mind as she navigated the choppy waters of getting repped. After meaningful encounters and interest in her original series at ITVFest in Vermont put her on top of the world, she floated on cloud nine, quite certain that THIS would be her moment. It wasn’t. Despite encouragement from HBO’s VP of Talent Development Kelly Edwards, Sonja found herself riding...

If you haven't met him before, take a minute to meet him now... Jonathan Jordan entered his script, Golden Girl, into last year's Annual Stage 32 Feature Contest and was beyond blown away by his contest win and the eight industry meetings we sent him on. Based on those meetings, he's working with a manager and a producer on 2 different projects. We also set Jonathan up on a meeting with Verve Talent & Literary Management Agency who loved him and his script. They have been working hand and hand...

I haven’t written a blog in quite a while… To be honest, haven’t felt like I’ve had all that much to say about the film industry lately. Maybe it’s because I just have too many projects in development for such a small setup. Or maybe it’s because I’m too wrapped up in the absolute insanity that is the daily assault of news about Trump. Maybe it’s because I rarely get enough sleep. Or maybe it’s because I’ve recently become completely obsessed with podcasts like APM’s In The Dark which is absolut...

Happy Sunday, guys!  Hope you're having a great weekend.  It's been an inspiring one around these parts with another lively edition of Introduce Yourself weekend.  If you haven't posted or contributed, you're missing out on what's been a July record for new connections made here on Stage 32.  Join the biggest online networking party here. For Coffee and Content this week, I have two items I think you'll find inspiring and motivating.  First up, I often receive letters, private messages or simp...

Welcome to another edition to Coffee & Content.  Hope you're all enjoying your weekend! First up this week, it's no secret that Pixar has a knack for telling great stories.  But how does the magic happen time and again?  How about a TedTalk on the subject?  Danielle Feinberg, Pixar's director of photography, creates stories with soul and wonder using math, science and code. Go behind the scenes of Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Brave, WALL-E and more, and discover how Pixar interweaves art and scien...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Hope you're all well rested and ready for some quality content. In this edition of Coffee & Content, we begin with the comedy of the Coen Brothers.  For my money, no filmmakers have embraced a wider range of comedy over the last 30 years than the Coens.  Sometimes darkly funny, other times broadly humorous, the Coens manage to mine laughs out of just about any scenario.  How do they get it done?  Our first video deconstructs the ins and outs of what makes it all come t...

I first met Alysia Reiner at SXSW about 5 years back.  I was immediately taken by her energy, spirit and determination.  We spoke for a long while about a life pursuing creative success and best practices on navigating the business.  We discussed how the most successful creatives find ways to eat excuses for breakfast and figure out how to control more than they relinquish.  Alysia has been a huge fan of the Stage 32 mission and has contributed to the platform in many ways including blogging (...